Margaret Drabble

Date of Birth: June 5, 1939

Zodiac Sign: Gemini

Biography

Margaret Drabble is a renowned British novelist, biographer, and critic, known for her keen insights into contemporary English life and her deep understanding of human psychology. Born in Sheffield, England, Drabble was raised in a literary family; her older sister is the celebrated novelist A. S. Byatt. She was educated at the Mount School in York and later at Newnham College, Cambridge, where she read English. After graduating with honors, Drabble briefly pursued an acting career before dedicating herself to writing. Her first novel, “A Summer Bird-Cage,” was published in 1963, marking the beginning of a prolific and influential literary career. Drabble’s novels often explore the lives of women and the challenges they face, and her work has been praised for its realism and social commentary. In addition to her novels, Drabble has written several biographies and edited the Oxford Companion to English Literature.

5 Interesting Facts about Margaret Drabble

1. Margaret Drabble was awarded the Golden PEN Award for a Lifetime’s Distinguished Service to Literature in 2011.

2. She was married to the actor Clive Swift from 1960 to 1975, and they had three children together.

3. Drabble’s sister, A. S. Byatt, is also a famous novelist, and the two have had a noted literary rivalry.

4. Her novel “The Millstone” won the John Llewellyn Rhys Memorial Prize in 1966.

5. In addition to her novels, Drabble has written several non-fiction works, including biographies of Arnold Bennett and Angus Wilson.

5 Most Interesting Quotes from Margaret Drabble

1. “When nothing is sure, everything is possible.”

2. “Why can’t people have what they want? The things were all there to content everybody; yet everybody has the wrong thing.”

3. “There is no denying that fiction makes a better job of the truth.”

4. “The human mind can bear plenty of reality but not too much intermittent gloom.”

5. “A sense of duty is useful in work but offensive in personal relations. People wish to be liked, not to be endured with patient resignation.”

Highest Net Worth Achieved

Margaret Drabble’s highest net worth is estimated to be around $5 million.

Children

Margaret Drabble has three children with her first husband, Clive Swift: Rebecca, a poet and founder of The Literary Consultancy; Adam, a writer and academic; and Joe, a garden designer.